Centrifugal aluminum chloride generator

Abstract

A metal chloride generator is provided. The metal chloride generator is a metal chloride centrifugal reactor that can be operated under conditions sufficient to cause metal particles and chlorine in the generator to be brought into contact with one another and react using centrifugal force to form metal chloride. A process for manufacturing titanium dioxide that utilizes the metal chloride generator is also provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A chloride process for manufacturing titanium dioxide, comprising:
 introducing titanium dioxide ore, a carbon source and chlorine into a chlorinator; 
 operating said chlorinator under conditions sufficient to cause titanium dioxide ore, said carbon source and chlorine in said chlorinator to react to form titanium tetrachloride; 
 introducing metal particles and chlorine into a metal chloride generator, wherein said metal chloride generator is a metal chloride centrifugal reactor; 
 operating said metal chloride generator under conditions sufficient to cause metal particles and chlorine in said generator to be brought into contact with one another and react using centrifugal force to form metal chloride; 
 introducing titanium tetrachloride formed in said chlorinator, metal chloride formed in said metal chloride generator and oxygen into an oxidizer; 
 operating said oxidizer under conditions sufficient to oxidize titanium tetrachloride and metal chloride in said oxidizer to form titanium dioxide particles having a metal oxide incorporated into their crystalline lattice structure; and 
 recovering titanium dioxide particles formed in said oxidizer. 
 
     
     
       2. The process of  claim 1 , wherein said carbon source is coke. 
     
     
       3. The process of  claim 1 , wherein said metal chloride centrifugal reactor comprises:
 a reactor housing, said reactor housing including an inside surface, an outside surface, a top portion, a bottom portion, a sidewall connecting said top portion and said bottom portion together, and an interior; 
 a cylindrical reaction chamber positioned within said interior of said reactor housing, said reaction chamber including an inside surface, an outside surface, a top, a bottom, a cylindrical side wall connecting said top and said bottom together and an interior, said interior of said reaction chamber having a top half and a bottom half; 
 a reactant inlet conduit extending through said sidewall of said reactor housing and said sidewall of said reaction chamber and including an inside surface, an outside surface and an interior, said reactant inlet conduit also including a first opening for receiving at least one reaction component from a location outside of said reactor housing and a second opening for discharging said reaction component into said reaction chamber, said second opening of said reactant inlet conduit being flush with said inside surface of said cylindrical sidewall of said reaction chamber and opening into said reaction chamber; and 
 a reaction product outlet conduit extending through said top of said reaction chamber and said top of said reactor housing and including an inside surface, an outside surface and an interior, said reaction product outlet conduit also including a first opening for receiving at least one reaction product from said interior of said reaction chamber and a second opening for discharging said reaction product to a location outside of said reactor housing. 
 
     
     
       4. The process of  claim 3 , wherein said second opening of said reactant inlet conduit opens into said top half of said interior of said reaction chamber. 
     
     
       5. The process of  claim 3 , wherein said first opening of said reaction product outlet conduit is flush with said top of said reaction chamber. 
     
     
       6. The process of  claim 3 , wherein said reaction product outlet conduit extends from said top of said reaction chamber into said interior of said reaction chamber such that said first opening of said reaction product outlet conduit is positioned within said interior of said reaction chamber. 
     
     
       7. The process of  claim 3 , wherein said reaction product outlet conduit extends less than half way into said interior of said reaction chamber such that said first opening of said reaction product outlet conduit is positioned within said top half of said interior of said reaction chamber. 
     
     
       8. The process of  claim 3 , wherein at least one of said reaction chamber, said reactant inlet conduit, and said reaction product outlet conduit includes a refractory lining attached to said inside surface thereof, said refractory lining having an inside surface facing said interior of said reaction chamber, reactant inlet conduit, or reaction product outlet conduit that has a texture rough enough to break up metal oxide layers on said metal particles. 
     
     
       9. The process of  claim 8 , wherein said inside surface of said refractory lining has a surface roughness in the range of from about 0.01 μm to about 1000 μm. 
     
     
       10. The process of  claim 1 , wherein said metal introduced into said metal chloride generator is selected from the group of aluminum, boron, zirconium, silicon and phosphorus. 
     
     
       11. The process of  claim 1 , wherein said metal introduced into said metal chloride generator is aluminum. 
     
     
       12. The process of  claim 1 , wherein the metal chloride formed in the metal chloride generator is aluminum chloride. 
     
     
       13. The process of  claim 1 , wherein said metal oxide is incorporated into the crystalline lattice structure of the titanium dioxide particles in an amount in the range of from about 0.5% to about 1.5% by weight based on the weight of the titanium dioxide. 
     
     
       14. A process for manufacturing titanium dioxide, comprising:
 introducing metal particles and chlorine into a metal chloride generator, wherein said metal chloride generator is a metal chloride centrifugal reactor; 
 operating said metal chloride generator under conditions sufficient to cause metal particles and chlorine in said generator to be brought into contact with one another and react using centrifugal force to form metal chloride; 
 introducing titanium halide formed in said chlorinator, metal chloride formed in said metal chloride generator and oxygen into an oxidizer; 
 operating said oxidizer under conditions sufficient to oxidize titanium halide and metal chloride in said oxidizer to form titanium dioxide particles having a metal oxide incorporated their crystalline lattice structure; and 
 recovering titanium dioxide particles formed in said oxidizer. 
 
     
     
       15. The process of  claim 14 , wherein said metal chloride centrifugal reactor comprises:
 a reactor housing, said reactor housing including an inside surface, an outside surface, a top portion, a bottom portion, a sidewall connecting said top portion and said bottom portion together, and an interior; 
 a cylindrical reaction chamber positioned within said interior of said reactor housing, said reaction chamber including an inside surface, an outside surface, a top, a bottom, a cylindrical side wall connecting said top and said bottom together and an interior, said interior of said reaction chamber having a top half and a bottom half; 
 a reactant inlet conduit extending through said sidewall of said reactor housing and said sidewall of said reaction chamber, said reactant inlet conduit including a first opening for receiving at least one reaction component from a location outside of said reactor housing and a second opening for discharging said reaction component into said reaction chamber, said second opening of said reactant inlet conduit being flush with said inside surface of said cylindrical sidewall of said reaction chamber and opening into said reaction chamber; and 
 a reaction product outlet conduit extending through said top of said reaction chamber and said top of said reactor housing, said reaction product outlet conduit including a first opening for receiving at least one reaction product from said interior of said reaction chamber and a second opening for discharging at least one reaction product to a location outside of said reactor housing. 
 
     
     
       16. The process of  claim 15 , wherein said second opening of said reactant inlet conduit opens into said top half of said interior of said reaction chamber. 
     
     
       17. The process of  claim 15 , wherein said first opening of said reaction product outlet conduit is flush with said top of said reaction chamber. 
     
     
       18. The process of  claim 15 , wherein said reaction product outlet conduit extends from said top of said reaction chamber into said interior of said reaction chamber such that said first opening of said reaction product outlet conduit is positioned within said interior of said reaction chamber. 
     
     
       19. The process of  claim 15 , wherein at least one of said reaction chamber, said reactant inlet conduit, and said reaction product outlet conduit includes a refractory lining attached to said inside surface thereof, said refractory lining having an inside surface facing said interior of said reaction chamber, reactant inlet conduit, or reaction product outlet conduit that has a texture rough enough to break up metal oxide layers on said metal particles.